Security devices, systems and computer program products

• US 20070124597A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

A security device having a knowledge input module obtaining knowledge data and a user data storage module storing user-specific data. A processor performs at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data and the user-specific data. An emitter in communication with the processor emits a signal indicative of the result of the user authorization process.

Claims

1. A security device comprising:

a knowledge input module obtaining knowledge data;

a user data storage module storing user-specific data;

a processor performing at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data and the user-specific data;

an emitter in communication with the processor, the emitter emitting a signal indicative of the result of the user authorization process.

2. The security device of claim 1 further comprising:

a biometric input module obtaining biometric data;

wherein the processor performs at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data, the user-specific data and the biometric data.

3. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the knowledge input module includes a keypad, the knowledge data corresponding to a sequence of key presses on the keypad.

4. The security device of claim 3 wherein:

the knowledge data includes timing of the key presses.

5. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the knowledge input module includes a motion sensor, the knowledge data corresponding to a sequence of movements of the security device.

6. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the user-specific data includes a seed and an algorithm information for pseudo-random code generation.

7. The security device of claim 6 wherein:

the processor transmits the pseudo-random code in response to the user entering valid knowledge data and valid biometric data.

8. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the biometric data includes an image of a fingerprint of the user.

9. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the biometric data includes a facial image.

10. The security device of claim 1 wherein:

the biometric data includes a retinal image.

11. A system for granting a user access to a resource, the system comprising:

an security device including;

a knowledge input module obtaining knowledge data;

a user data storage module storing user-specific data;

a processor performing at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data and the user-specific data;

an emitter in communication with the processor, the emitter emitting a signal indicative of the result of the user authorization process;

a receiving system receiving the signal indicative of the authorization process, the receiving system generating an authorization signal in response to the signal;

an access system granting access to the resource in response to the authorization signal from the receiving system.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the security device further includes a biometric input module obtaining biometric data;

wherein the processor performs at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data, the user-specific data and the biometric data.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the user-specific data includes a seed and an algorithm information for pseudo-random code generation.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the processor transmits the pseudo-random code in response to the user entering valid knowledge data and valid biometric data;

the receiving system verifying the pseudo-random code to generate the authorization signal.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the access system grants access to a physical resource.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein:

the access system grants access to a computer resource.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a program module in communication with the security device, the program module providing the seed and algorithm to the security device.

18. A computer program product for authorizing a user of an security device, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising;

obtaining knowledge data from a knowledge input module;

obtaining user-specific data from a user data storage module;

performing at least part of a user authorization process in response to the knowledge data and the user-specific data;

driving an emitter to generate a signal indicative of the result of the user authorization process.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating:

obtaining biometric data from a biometric input module;

performing at least part of the user authorization process in response to the knowledge data, the user-specific data and the biometric data.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein:

the user-specific data includes a seed and an algorithm information for pseudo-random code generation.